Brake-shoe



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' J PLAYER.

BRAKE SHOE.

Patented Feb. 17, 1891.

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JOHN PLAYER, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS.

BRAKE-SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,570, dated February 17, 1891.. Application filed September 29, 1890, Serial No. 366,617. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN PLAYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Topeka, Shawnee county, Kansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Brake-Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

As is well known, the wheels of railwaycars, &c., wear unevenly in use, grooves or depressions being formed in that part of the tread which comes in contact with the track.

My object is to provide a shoe that shall compensate for such unequal wear, the shoe being so formed as to contact only with such parts of the wheel as are not worn in rolling, and is provided with chilled cutting-edges in those portions of the shoe intended to wear upon or contact with the wheel; and my invention consists in the features and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe made in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3, a cross-section of a wheel-tire and a shoe applied thereto; Fig. at, a side elevation of a modified form of shoe; Fig. 5, a perspective View of another modification and Fig. 6, a cross-section taken in line 6 (3 of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The shoe A is made of cast-iron, preferably in the form shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, being so shaped as to contact with the outer edge of the flange and that part of the tread not in contact with the track. Those portions of the surface of the shoe that are in contact with the wheel are chilled and are provided with grooves or depressions B, by means of which chilled cutting-edges Z) I) are formed, which will wear or cut down those portions of the wheel not worn in use by the track, thereby maintaining the even surface ofthe wheel and doing away with the necessity of removing the wheels to dress them from time to time. The grooves may be rounded, as shown in the first three figures, or square, as shown in Fig. 5, or of any other shape that will afford the cutting-edges In the drawings I have shown four grooves running diagonally across that part of the shoe that bears upon the tread of the wheel and the same number in that part of which bears upon the flange;

The grooves in that part of the These holes afford additional cutalone, or the grooves may be filled with wood 6 5 and the holes left open to do the cutting.

The shoe shown in Figs. 5and 6 is provided with blocks D D, of wood or similar material,

serving to increase the friction and acting as a spacer and to prevent the shoe from out 7o ting too deeply into the wheel. The shoe in this case is made with ribs or webs d, forming pockets to receive and hold the blocks D. These webs extend but about half as far toward the surface of the wheel as do the cutting 7 5 portions, so that they are never in contact with the tread of the wheel and do not cut or wear it, nor do they bear against the flange, being separated from it, as shown.

Inasmuch as the side of the flange next the rail is sufficiently worn by contact therewith any additional wearing is unnecessary, and my shoe accordingly contacts only wit-h the outer edge of the flange and does not extend down in contact with the side thereof next the rail, the shoe exerting no wearing influence upon the side of the flange, but acting only to cut down the diameter thereof to preserve the proportions of the wheel.

By the use of this shoe those portions of the tread or tread and flange not worn in use will be cut away, and the even surface of the wheel maintained.

The form, size, number, and relative location of the grooves and holes may be varied at will, as above indicated, so long as the gist of my invention is preserved, such gist consisting in constructing a brake-shoe with chilled cuttingedges to wear or cut the surface of the wheel.

I claim- 1. A brake-shoe A, the face whereof is so formed as to contact only with the outer edge of the flange and that part of the tread not in contact with the track, such face being chilled throughout its entire surface and having grooves B, formingcutting-cdges 1), adapted to act upon the Wheel and maintain its even surv to act upon the surface of the wheel and compcnsate for the unequal wearing thereof, substantially as described.

3. A brake-shoe provided with chilled cutting-edges Z), adapted to act upon the parts of the Wheel not worn in use, \vebsd, and blocks D D, acting to increase the friction and prevent too great Wearing of the wheel, substantially as described.

JOHN PLAYER. Witnesses:

EPHRAIM BANNING, ANNIE O. COURTENAY. 

